Relief Society Birthday Celebration

On March 8th, we all enjoyed a wonderful birthday celebration of the organization of the Relief Society. The theme of the evening was "Light," and what a beautiful evening it was! So many wonderful sisters participated to create a gorgeous ambience, delicious food, and a fabulous program full of insight, humor, and inspiration. 

Thanks to everyone who made the night so wonderful! Including the many, many not pictured here.

We even got a special guest visit from our bishopric, who, along with the Relief Society Presidency, did a fabulous job of tossing our salads. 

I wish this picture could capture how truly beautiful the light was in the cultural hall. Very inspiring decorating.

Thank you to everyone who contributed to the organization of the evening and who came to simply enjoy. We are so fortunate to be surrounded by such inspiring women.

Recipes from Feb 8th RS Activity

Kathryn L.'s Apple Crisp

12 large apples, peeled and sliced*

2 Tbs lemon juice

½ cup water

1 cup sugar

1 tsp cinnamon

1 ½ cup flour

½ tsp salt

12 Tbl butter, melted

1 cup sugar

Place apple slices* in a 9x13 pan.  Pour lemon juice and water over them and set aside.  In a separate bowl, mix 1 cup sugar and cinnamon together.  Sprinkle sugar mixture over the apples and stir to coat well.  Set aside.  In separate bowl, mix remaining ingredients til butter is well incorporated.  Mixture should form large ½” crumbs.  Spread evenly over apples.  Bake at 375 degrees for 45 minutes.  Serve hot with ice cream. Yum! 

*When using dried apples, the equivalent of 12 fresh apples was about ½ can of #10 sized can.  To reconstitute, pour hot but not boiling water over the apples and let sit for at least one hour or overnight.  Use the same amount of water as apples.  When softened, pour off all but ½ cup water.  Discard remaining water.  Add 2 additional Tbls of lemon juice to the recipe when using the dried apples since they are not as tart as the fresh ones.    

Mary Ellen's Yogurt Dressing
(for fruit salads)
1 c vanilla yogurt
2 T good honey
2 T good maple syrup
1/2 c mayonnaise (Best Foods)
2 T orange marmalade or apricot jam
1/8 c marshmallow topping
1/8 c whipped cream (must be whipped)

I like to offer separate bowls for individual desire: toasted coconut, granola and pecans. I also let guests serve the dressing on their own individual salad.

Mary Ellen's Asian Dressing

1/2 c Canola oil
1/4 c good soy sauce
1/2 c rice vinegar
1/8 c sugar
1 garlic clove
pinch of white pepper
three chopped scallions

Cindy P.'s Food Storage Ingredient Recipes

Quick Chickpea Curry

Serves 4

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 large yellow onion, diced small (could use dried onion flakes instead)

3 garlic cloves, minced (could use dried garlic instead)

1 tablespoon curry powder

1 cinnamon stick (3 inches)

Pinch of ground cloves

2 cans (15 ounces each) no-salt-added chickpeas, rinsed and drained

3 tablespoons ketchup

Coarse salt and ground pepper

Chopped cilantro and lemon wedges (optional), for serving

In a large straight-sided skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add onion and cook,

stirring occasionally, until dark brown around edges, about 6 minutes. Add garlic, curry,

cinnamon, and cloves and cook, stirring, until fragrant, 30 seconds. Add chickpeas,

ketchup, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and 2 cups water. Bring to a boil; reduce to

a simmer, cover, and cook 20 minutes. Uncover, and increase heat to medium-high; cook

until sauce is slightly reduced, 5 minutes. Serve topped with cilantro, with lemon wedges

alongside if desired. Serve with cooked rice or warm naan bread.

Pesto Tuna Salad with Sun-Dried Tomatoes

Serves 4

· 2 (6 ounce) cans canned tuna

· 1/2 cup prepared basil pesto sauce

· 12 oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained and diced (I've used dried before and it is

just as good and not as fattening)

· 4 tablespoons mayonnaise

· 4 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

In a bowl, mix the tuna, pesto, sun-dried tomatoes, mayonnaise, and Parmesan cheese.

Serve warm over cooked spaghetti or on toasted french bread.

Some Basics of Food Storage - Andrea L.

Most people are under the impression that Long-Term Food Storage is just that... Food purchased and Stored LONG TERM! (Or at least until you throw it away after a few years because you're sick of moving it or storing it or it has expired or all the kids have moved out!)

Here are a few tips that I have found helpful for long term food storage:
-If there's an item your family absolutely hates, don't buy it. Instead, substitute something similar or just buy more of a more familiar ingredient.
-If a family member is allergic to any of the basic food storage items, then don't purchase it. An emergency situation where you're hunkered down with 500 pounds of wheat is not the time to discover that someone in the family is allergic to gluten. So plan around food allergies now, while time is on your side.
-Begin incorporating recipes that contain these basic ingredients. There's no sense in stocking up on large bags of dried pinto beans, hoping your family will fall in love with them in a dire emergency, if they're not a part of your current diet. That's not the way it works, and if you've ever dealt with picky eaters, you know that!
-Take one basic staple, black beans, for example, that your family usually doesn't eat. Can you sneak a few of them in a bean dish you already make? If you make homemade refried beans, try using half black beans and half pinto. If you can slip one of these unfamiliar staples into a familiar dish, your family will become accustomed to the flavor and texture, and possibly discover a new favorite! Last fall we tried Cindy P.'s black bean brownies and other yummy black bean recipes.

Now, the secret of food storage pros is to have recipes that utilize these ingredients and begin incorporating them into your family's meals. Use up and replenish your food storage this way by writing down all the meals you enjoy for 1 or 2 weeks. Write down the ingredients you need to make those meals. Next time you go to the store, buy 2 of that meal. One to eat now, one to eat later. One sister I know of purchased a $25 bookcase from Walmart and put her 3 month's supply of food storage on that. You can store under beds, in back of closets, in baskets that sit on shelves, in footlockers, etc. You can stack your boxes from the Cannery four high, cover with fabric and you have a night stand. You can store like items together or you can store meal ingredients together.

The most important thing is to store what you and your family will eat.